Equivalent Mistake
by Enula
Summary: Ed died. In his grief, Al foolishly believes he can perform human transmutation successfully. He was wrong. Now, a new homunculus is in the hands of Al and Winry. EdWinry
1. A New Homunculus

PLEASE READ! _This story will contain fictitious information. This means, that not every event will be based on facts from the show. However, there may be many spoilers when show based incidents do occur. So before you tell me that so-and-so is not true, take heed to this._

WARNING! _This story is rated M for violence, language, graphic scenes, nudity, and adult situations._

* * *

Equivalent Mistake

I.

'It seems like just yesterday…'

"Ed, you're home! You came back…"

'Al came back to Risembool after a couple years, his new knowledge on alchemy amazing. During the time of his training in Dublin, he was able to make himself tougher and gain more confidence in his abilities. He told me with any luck, he would be able to perform the alchemic process to bring Edward back to where he belonged.

'It worked. However…'

"Edward…oh God, Edward, don't die!"

'Something went wrong and Ed was unable to pass through the Gates unharmed. I'm not an alchemy genius; I can't explain what I saw. But right away, I had an awful sinking feeling in my heart. Something deep within me was telling me that I was not getting Ed back…ever.

'But like before…'

"No…this can't be happening!"

'I was fooled by the turn of events…'

* * *

Winry turned her eyes heavenward, blinking every time a small raindrop would land on her face. The droplets ran down her face and dropped from her chin. She had already cried so much, she allowed the rain to be her tears as she stood in front of Edward Elric's grave. 

She absently looked around the gravesite, noticing how many people were actually there. Half of the military personnel attended, along with a few close friends from their hometown. Pinako stood the closest to the stone engraved with Ed's name and date of birth and death. He was buried right next to his mother's grave.

Her eyes fell on two of the people she knew the most in the military, Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye. Seeing the two of them stand so close to each other, surviving off of each other's comfort, was enough to dwell tears from the thought-to-be dried well.

She turned away quickly, gazing down at Al. He stood beside her, still looking young at the age of thirteen. It was obvious how strong he was trying to remain, what with his hard, narrowed eyes and firm mouth. A tear slipped down her cheek as she reached out to hold one of Al's hands. Why did the Elric's always have to act so tough?

Al looked up at his longtime friend, not even having the strength to force a smile. His hand squeezed hers roughly, but it didn't bother her. She wanted to be comforted as much as Al.

They stayed like that for hours, not even budging when the sky darkened and cried its obvious sorrow. Slowly, all the guests that attended the funeral began to leave, paying their last respects to Al and the Rockbell's. When they were all gone, Pinako regretfully went inside the house, not pushing Al and Winry to follow.

_'This isn't happening…'_ Even as she thought this, she could feel herself falling into a sort of depression…a denial. Out of all the things Ed has been through…why did it have to be something like this to put a stop to his never ending journey?

"I'm going to bring him back, Winry." The sound of Al's voice for the first time that day surprised her. With widened eyes, Winry stared at him in disbelief. His expression still remained emotionless, and Winry thought she had merely been hearing things.

Then his eyes locked on hers, an indescribable flame in his orbs. She couldn't help but gasp, never seeing Al look so dark.

His voice rasped harshly, "I have to try."

"No…" Winry shook her head, but her words and actions held no conviction, "Al, you can't…"

"I've perfected my alchemy skills as best as possible." He looked down at Ed's grave, speaking as though he didn't hear her words, "I believe I can perform a human transmutation flawlessly. With any luck…"

"That's what you said when you were bringing Ed through the Gate!" Winry yelled unintentionally. She covered her mouth quickly with a gasp, tears blurring her vision. She didn't mean to make it sound as though she was blaming Al for what happened to Ed. She was about to apologize when Al continued. Her words seemed lost to his ears.

"I'll make sure everything is perfect. I'll read the book through each step, and make sure there is no room for error." He turned to her again, his eyes never looking so eerie, "Then we'll both be able to hold him again."

Winry sobbed. She couldn't believe Al was using her weakness against her. However, he knew what her largest desire was, also knowing it would be practically impossible for her to turn the chance away.

Even though she knew it was bound to turn out badly, she simply whispered, "I wish I had the will power to talk you out of it." Winry turned and left the gravesite, heading back to her house. When she stepped inside, everything seemed the same as always. She hung her wet coat up on the coat rack beside the door and slipped off her damp shoes. The house was silent, not even her footsteps making a sound.

Although it was in the middle of the day, the sprinkle outside made the sky dark. No lights illuminated her way up the stairs. She was moving through a dream as far as she was concerned, her world shaky and uneven, like she was looking through someone else's eyes.

She scared herself when she heard her heavy breathing break the silence. Her legs wobbled and she stumbled to the side, her arms barely catching herself before she smacked into the wall. Groaning lowly, she rested her forehead against the wall before pushing herself away. The hurried action made her nauseous. Dropping to her knees, she squeezed her chest when she began to dry heave.

Everything made her sick. The silence, the darkness, Ed's absence, Al's plan, her heartbreak…

She tasted the nasty flavor in her throat, but knew it would be impossible to throw up. She hadn't eaten hardly anything in two days. Even so, instinct took her to the bathroom where she released everything and nothing in the toilet.

Winry thought she would feel better afterward. It only made her worse. The last of her energy was drained. She could hardly lift her hand to flush the toilet, let alone stand up and walk to a bedroom. With her vision leaving her, she allowed unconsciousness to overtake her body and mind as she collapsed on the bathroom floor.

* * *

Down in the basement, Al was already hard at work. He found the book that described what the perfect human transmutation should be. The whole time he was away training with Sensei, she never once mentioned anything about bringing back the dead. He happened to stumble upon it himself, looking into it for no real reason except curiosity. 

"Ni-san…" Al whispered into the dark, squeezing the chalk roughly between his fingers as he slowly made the transmutation circle. He was determined not to have one little mistake. "This has to be perfect…"

He glanced over to the dead fox that was currently in the corner. Al happened to spot the dead animal when he went for a lonely walk in the woods. It looked like it had died naturally, either from a wild illness or birth defect. It seemed too young to be old age. When he was thinking of equivalent exchange, he went looking for it again, glad that another animal had not picked it up.

As soon as he was down to the last inch of the chalk, Al connected the last of the complicated and detailed circle. He swallowed roughly as he grabbed the fox and set it down right on the inside. He fell to his knees a few inches away from the sacrifice.

"This has to work…" even as he said it, his voice began to waver with uncertainty. He had gathered Ed's ashes and spread them out in the center of the circle. It was his body and soul. "What can go wrong?"

So with the transmutation circle and everything else in place, he cautiously clapped his hands together and lowered his hands to the circle. He hesitated right before he reached the floor. A bead of sweat rolled off his forehead and into his eye. He licked his dry, cracked lips. He gritted his teeth and spoke so roughly, he didn't even recognize his own voice, "There's no time for hesitation."

With that, he slammed his palms against the floor, the circle automatically glowing a bright purple.

And then darkness crawled out of the shadows, ready to take its prey for the unforgivable sin that was committed. Al backed away from the circle. He didn't want to regret trying to bring his brother back…but common sense was telling him that he should have left well enough alone.

He yelled out in alarm when a black hole appeared in midair. Though it was a strange thought for the moment, he felt a strong sense of déjà vu. His eyes hardly had time to follow the fox being pulled into the darkness, for it was a split second motion. He saw something beginning to move on the floor.

A small smile began tugging at his lips, "Ni-san…?"

While his mouth was open for speech, a long, black arm jutted out of the perforation and reached deep into his throat. His eyes widened along with his mouth, unable to control his body functions. A fist curled into a ball, blocking off his air flow.

Even while he was becoming dizzy, he managed to spot a figure standing up. Could it possibly be…?

Without hesitation, the arm retracted from Al's mouth. Blood spilled from his lips in large amounts, dripping down his chin and neck, staining his clothes and the floor. He wrapped both his hands around his throat, knowing instantly that something was terribly wrong.

'The fox was not enough…because it was dead…it needed something more…'

The black hole began to get smaller, though the wind in the room seemed to only pick up. On the far side of the wall where Winry hung her tools, many of them got knocked to the floor. The loud banging they made was almost unbearable. Al clenched his eyes shut, praying that everything would end.

When there was nothing left on the walls or counters, the clanging stopped. He was able to hear his own ragged breath, though every time he respired, the pain was overwhelming.

Al opened his eyes, his heart stopping when he saw nothing else but two red, evil eyes staring directly into his own. Instinct told him to scream, but when he tried, nothing came out.

_'Why can't I scream…!'_ He couldn't think straight. He fell back, getting a clearer picture of who the red eyes belonged to. His mouth hung open in awe, hardly noticing the few dribbles of blood still seeping from the side of his lips.

He couldn't speak, but it wasn't hard to understand what he mouthed: _'Ni-san…'_

Indeed, Al had succeeded in what was supposed to be impossible. He was…perfect. His hair was a slightly darker blond, and his eyes were red, but…

Al looked closer. There were pieces of Ed's skin missing, revealing red and blue veins in various areas. He was naked, and though it was dark, it wasn't hard to see how pale he was. Al wanted so desperately to believe that it was his brother. He thought that in a few days, Ed would be good as new. He could get the color back in his skin, and heal all of his scars.

But Al noticed two things that seemed irreversible. One, was his eyes. They weren't only red, they were evil. Ed glared down at him with such hatred, Al wanted to kill himself right then and there to end his suffering. Two, was the mark on Ed's throat. Al recognized it immediately and knew what he had done.

It was the Oroburous: the symbol of the Serpent devouring it's tail. He saw that figure before. It was on the bottom of Wrath's foot. Sensei told him a short tale of it before…he had it because he was a homunculus.

Right as Al comprehended all of this, Ed thrashed an arm across his head, sending the younger brother across the floor. Al tumbled over himself, surprised at Ed's strength. He wanted to groan in pain, but found he still could not make a sound.

His pupils dilated as a realization hit him. _'My voice box…it's gone!' _He gasped when Ed's feet stepped in front of him. Slowly, Al's eyes traveled the length of his brother's body until he reached his face.

A large smirked stretched Edward's lips, his hands on his hips, "What's the matter?" It was the first time he spoke, and already Al didn't like his voice. Indeed, it was Ed's, but with a strong evil influence. At lightening fast speed, Ed's eyes were right in front of him again, a dangerous sort of playful gleam dancing in them, "Cat got your tongue?"

Al was once again kicked across the room. This couldn't be happening! How could he possibly come back evil? It's impossible! He didn't come in contact with anything that could penetrate his mind. And how was he so…strong? Al had read stories about what could happen, but none of them ever mentioned the homunculus having power so quickly.

Ed walked closer to him again. Al closed his eyes. _'He's going to kill me…' _Feeling a strong sense of loneliness because he knew this homunculus he created was not fully his brother, he gripped the necklace he always wore around his neck. Usually he kept it inside his shirt, but he managed to pull it out and grasp it in his fist. Sensei had given it to him, telling him that in case he ever felt in real danger, show it to his enemy. He didn't understand it then, but now that he felt the amulet warming in reaction, he was glad she knew what she was doing.

In confusion, Al held the amulet forward, shocked when Ed actually halted. Slowly lifting himself up on one arm, he held the necklace closer to Ed. Gritting his teeth in anger, Ed backed away. Al saw the Oroburous on Ed's throat glow a bright red.

"Fuck you…" Ed growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Al?"

Al snapped his head toward the stairs quickly when he heard Winry calling him. He opened his mouth to tell her to stop, forgetting that he couldn't speak. He saw her shadow coming around the bend. He looked around frantically, searching for a close tool to throw at the wall to warn her.

"Al, are you down here?" she asked, squinting through the darkness, "I heard a lot of noise and wanted to make sure you're okay. Al?"

_'No!'_ Al screamed in his mind when he saw Ed give up on him and instead run toward Winry.

Winry just took the last step before she was roughly pushed against the nearest wall. She grunted when her back and head slammed against the cement, feeling dizzy and sick all over again. She blinked her eyes a couple times, her body trying to go on alert for protection. But her arms were pinned beside her head with inhuman strength.

Her vision returned. Her breath stopped when she saw Ed was the one who was pinning her to the wall. She leaned her head forward, looking deep into his face, ignoring his eyes for the moment, "Edward…?"

His eyes widened in shock when she said his name. He let down all his defenses in that moment of surprise, but quickly put them back up again when he leaned forward, causing her to smack her head against the wall again.

"Don't call me that," he demanded dangerously.

"What? But…" she paused, suddenly feeling delirious. Before all the noise woke her up, she was still passed out in the bathroom. In a daze, she got to her feet and stumbled down to the basement, forgetting Al said about bringing Ed back to life. Her eyes lowered to his mouth, "That's your name…"

Al staggered to his feet, determined to help Winry. _'I can't let her get hurt because of what I did…'_

Ed growled and pressed her against the wall roughly, his body getting closer to hers. Winry was only wearing her light, knee-length blue and white dress, so she was able to feel Ed's form collide into her own. She couldn't help but have her eyes wander down further, only then realizing that he was naked. Feeling embarrassed, she clenched her eyes shut and turned her head to the side, "Ed, what are you…"

Winry screamed when she felt Ed heat up and yell in pain. He was thrown off her, but her arms remained locked to the wall beside her head. She squinted her eyes open, hardly seeing anything through the dark.

Al had pushed all of his bodyweight against Ed, knocking them both to the ground. While he had the chance, Al pressed the red amulet to his brother's throat. In that moment, Al wished he had lost his hearing instead, the sound emitting from Ed's throat sounding inhuman. He never thought it would end and actually resorted to quickly talking to himself when Winry's confused screams joined the mantra.

Then Ed, unable to take it anymore, passed out. As soon as his sounds stopped, Winry went silent also, collapsing to her knees.

Breathing hard, Al slid off of Ed, careful not to jostle around too much in fear of waking him up. With shame, he turned his eyes toward Winry, all the apologies in the world written within the depths of his soul.

She stared at him with wide-eyes, "Al…what did you do?" She didn't wait for him to answer. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fell forward. Al grabbed her shoulders before her body could hit the floor, holding her head close to his shoulder. His eyes closed in regret.

He jumped and looked, however, when he heard one of the stairs creak. On the third step up was Pinako, the pipe missing from her mouth. She didn't stare in disbelief, but rather in contemplation. Al wanted so badly to run to her and cry, but there was no more time to be a child.

Opening his mouth, his body convulsed when blood clogged up his throat. He set Winry aside before turning away, gagging and spitting out his own blood. He tried to stay awake…he wasn't sure if he would ever wake up if he fell asleep. However, air was not plentiful and his ribs ached like hell. He needed to let go…

* * *

Winry sat up quickly upon snapping out of sleep. Sweat dampened her forehead and neck, causing her long hair to stick uncomfortably to her skin. She looked around, noticing she was in her own room, in her own bed. 

_'Was that…just a dream?' _She swallowed and threw the warm covers off of her legs. Her throat, mouth, and lips were dryer than she ever remembered. Badly needing a drink, she stood on her shaky legs and walked herself to the bathroom.

Managing to gulp down five glasses of water, she didn't even mind when a few drops missed her mouth and landed on her chest. The cold made her flinch, but it was also a good means to cool herself down. This is when she realized she was in her white night grown, but didn't press on the matter.

She didn't turn on the bathroom light to prevent from looking at herself in the mirror. She felt so horrible, she couldn't even imagine how she appeared. Exiting the bathroom, the hallway seemed darker than when she first stepped into it. She came to her bedroom quickly, but hesitated before going in.

Her eyes drifted down to the far end of the hallway where Al slept. She didn't know why, but she had a strong urge to go down there and talk to him.

_'God, what time is it anyway? Would he really appreciate it if I just woke him up in the middle of the night?'_ She knew, of course, that Al didn't mind when she woke him up for something. He said before that it made him feel special that she would come to him. However, as she began to walk toward his room, she couldn't help but begin to feel nervous.

Winry stopped at his doorway, the door cracked open only slightly. The moon was staring into the area, so Winry could see Al's form sleeping peacefully on the first bed. She stepped quietly into the room. Tiptoeing over to the bed, she peered down at the mess of blond hair. Before she could whisper Al's name, her body froze when someone moved in the second bed.

_'What? But…'_ She looked down at the bed she was standing beside. There was definitely someone in this bed, too! And she highly doubted her grandmother would be sleeping in Al's room…

Cautiously leaning in closer, Winry felt her heart quicken. All the water she consumed did nothing, as she only felt dehydrated all over again. She watched as her hand gripped the top of the blankets, slowing pulling them down.

With each inch she uncovered, her eyes grew larger and larger. It was definitely not Al's hair…it wasn't that long. Uncovering the face, she let out a shaky breath when she saw that the features belonged to Edward.

_'It wasn't a dream…'_ She pulled her hand away quickly, a lump forming in the throat. She wanted to hold him so badly…she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go. She didn't care what her stubborn best friend thought of her actions. He was back…that was all she cared about.

Instead, her mind raced ahead of her heart as she ran over to the other bed. This time, she knew for certain it was Al. Shaking him a little roughly, she whispered his name continuously to wake him up.

When she succeeded, he sat up quickly, on the alert. He looked around frantically before his eyes fell on Winry. He gave her a questioning look, parting his lips to ask what was wrong. He choked on his words, horror entering his brown irises.

Winry's eyes took on the same expression, "Al…what have you _done?_"


	2. House Chase

Equivalent Mistake

II.

Two sets of eyes shifted to the opposite bed. Ed had been awoken upon hearing Winry's voice, a low groan coming from his throat. He sat up, his eyes only half open. Pressing a hand to his forehead, he cursed under his breath.

Winry froze when Al put an arm in front of her to keep her from moving. She only glanced at her young friend before resting her eyes firmly on Edward. What happened earlier still felt like a dream. She was having a hard time believing Ed was really evil. As if in a trance, she lowered Al's arm, not paying any heed to his head shaking fiercely. He tugged on her hand, but she simply slipped her fingers free.

She walked the two small steps needed to reach the other bed. She held her arms limply at her sides, her eyes wide with disbelief and slight fear.

Her heart raced when he looked up at her, his eyes as red as blood. Her throat felt dry as she tried to speak his name. He smirked when her eyes began to wander down to his neck, "Like what you see, wench?"

Realizing where she was looking, she blushed and stared at his face again. She wasn't looking at him in any sexual way. The mark on his throat drew her attention, burning a certain sensation to the core of her body. Not only that, but the way his red eyes stared at her…it was making it impossible for her to look away.

She gasped when his right hand unknowingly reached up and grabbed her chin in between his finger and thumb. She could feel her body tremble in fear, yet she couldn't deny how much she wanted him to touch her.

Before she knew it, she was forced away from him and thrown onto the opposite bed. At first, she thought Ed had pushed her away, but when she saw Al standing in front of her, it was apparent she thought wrong.

"Al…what are you doing? He wasn't hurting me," she said, pushing herself to the edge. She didn't stand, but looked up at Al. He looked determined.

Ed snickered, "What's the matter? Getting jealous?"

Al narrowed his eyes, but took a step back when Ed threw the covers off and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Al reached for the necklace around his neck, slapping his chest when he couldn't feel it. Worriedly, he looked down, surprised to find the amulet gone.

'Why is it not…' He came to a quick realization. When he was fighting Ed off of Winry in the basement, he took the necklace off to press it closer to Ed's throat. He didn't recall putting it back on…and he passed out soon after.

He whirled around to face Winry, his eyes wide in alarm. He mouthed, _'The basement!' _but he did it so fast, Winry couldn't make out the words.

Winry leaned in toward him, getting more freaked out by the second. Why oh why did she even bother to come disturb them! If it wasn't for her, Ed and Al would still be sleeping peacefully.

Al didn't even bother to try to mouth the words again. Ed had stood up, and there was no telling what he would do. Grabbing Winry's hand, Al raced to the door, not bothering to look back when Winry slammed against the wall as they were running around the corner. Though she probably got the idea to follow him, Al didn't release her hand.

Right before they reached the steps, Ed jumped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. Al backed away so quickly, Winry lost her balance of going forward then backward and stumbled over her feet. She fell on her butt, causing Ed to laugh at her.

'I have to get that amulet!' Al looked from side to side, searching for a good escape route. Unfortunately, it was only a thin hallway. Running into a bedroom wouldn't do much justice. So Al did the only thing he could think of.

With a small running start, he pushed his bodyweight into Ed, sending them both flying down the stairs.

"Al!" Winry screamed, scrambling to her feet. She stood at the top of the staircase and watched them tumble all the way to the first floor.

Basically unharmed by the whole ordeal, Ed threw Al off of him, holding his head again, "Damn it, I still have a headache. That was a real shitty thing to do." Standing up, he looked down at the young teenager who was holding his shoulder in pain. He smirked, "At least you didn't fall on your ass, right?" He raised a leg to kick him. It seemed to be his favorite thing to do.

"No!" Winry yelled, tears brimming her eyes at watching the two brothers fight. She ran down the stairs, holding an arm over her chest as she did so. It hurt to run so fast with no bra, and her flimsy nightgown wasn't much help to keep her in place.

It was too late, for Al already got a hard kick in the gut. As he came to a stop after a few rolls, Winry ran to him and pulled him to his feet rather roughly. Al didn't blame her for this, but instead silently thanked her for getting him up.

They broke into another sprint toward the basement. Al gripped the doorknob and pulled, breathing hard when it didn't open. Thankfully, it only took him a second to realize the door was locked. Unlocking it, he thrust the door open and ran hastily down the stairs, almost tripping and falling again.

As he began to look around the floor frantically, Winry could do nothing but stare at him, "Al, what are we looking for?"

Al ran his hand around his neck, dangling his fingers in front of him. The action wasn't too hard to read, so Winry nodded her head in understanding and began looking for his necklace. She panicked when she heard Ed begin to walk down the stairs.

"Are we playing a game?" he asked in mock playfulness. As soon as Ed was close enough, Winry was shocked to see the amulet that was Al's necklace glow red.

"There!" she yelled, Al reacting automatically as he dived for it. He grasped it in his hands just as Ed stepped in front of him.

Ed shook his head, "We were on a treasure hunt? I wasn't told of this…I think that's unfair, don't you?"

Trying to ignore Ed's derision, Al ran to the other side of the basement. Winry backed into a corner, not sure if she would be able to help or not. Al spotted her, gritting his teeth in confusion. He didn't want her to witness the gruesome scene from earlier again, but he couldn't very well _tell _her to run upstairs! And with Ed blocking his path, he was stuck there also.

Al remembered the back entrance. The doors led straight outside. He ran to the wall, his hands feeling over the hard cement quickly. Hardly ever being down there, he couldn't remember exactly where the door was.

'This would be a lot easier if I could see!' There was only one small window in the basement, but it was covered with glass blocks. Barely any light from the moon shown into the room.

His hand knocked against a doorknob. He twisted this one open with ease, freezing when he felt Ed's hand land on his hurt shoulder. In reaction, Al spun around and put the amulet dangerously close to Ed's throat. It was enough to back him off.

Al took a step out the door, tripping over a step before he could get too far. Breathing hard, he ran up the steps blindly, holding out a hand so he wouldn't run into the door that would lead him outside.

"Al, he's _coming!" _He heard Winry scream from the bottom of the steps.

Sweat poured off his face. Why hadn't he reached the door yet? Surely there wasn't that many steps! Finally, he ran into the door. He stopped his breathing when he couldn't find the handle. Panic was enabling him from thinking straight, and he couldn't bring himself to calm down and feel around rationally.

He didn't hear anything behind him, but this only invoked his terrible fear. He knew Ed wasn't too far behind him, or Winry wouldn't have yelled like that.

Before he could turn around and hold the talisman out, he felt a strong wind pass his head before he heard a loud bang in front of him. His eyes widened. Ed was standing directly behind him, arms on either side of him with his hands pressed against the door.

"I found you," Ed said, his voice dangerously low, "Do I…"

Al's hand continued to search for the knob, finally finding it was closer to the floor than most handles. Without a second thought, he turned the knob and ran out as the door opened. Since Ed had been leaning his weight on it, he stumbled forward, barely catching himself.

"Son of a bitch!" He grumbled, watching as Al ran as fast as he could down the hillside. Ed ran a few steps, but then stopped and put his hands on his hips, "I don't know if I really feel like chasing you…"

Hearing a twig crack behind him, he looked over his shoulder to see Winry had come out of the basement, too. He turned around to get a better look at the twenty-year-old blonde. He smirked at what he saw. Her one strap was hanging off her shoulder, the bottom and midsection of her gown very wrinkled and crumpled. Her hair was a wild, erotic mess from sleeping and running.

He looked down at himself clad in boxers, "It's a shame I'm not naked anymore, huh?" He asked, laughing when she blushed, "Then there'd be only one--."

Cutting himself short, Ed gave her a weird look. It wasn't a perverted or mocking look, but a genuinely confused look. She tilted her head at the sudden change. He blinked a couple times, and Winry could have sworn she saw a flash of gold.

Suddenly, Ed yelled in pain and grasped his chest, breathing heavier. The open wounds on his arms, legs, and abdomen began to bleed, dark blood dripping onto the grass. Winry stood frozen in horror. Why did he start bleeding now? What caused it?

Ed dropped to his knees, still holding his heart and taking ragged breaths. Slowly, he looked up at her. Gasping, Winry was shocked to see his own gorgeous golden eyes looking pained and perplexed.

"Winry…" That was all it took. Hearing him say her name in recognition, her legs brought her over to him. She went to her knees in front of him, grabbing his shoulders gently. He groaned in pain, bending his head as he tried to bare through it.

"Edward…" she distressed, wrapping her arms around him, feeling the top of his head press against her stomach. She wasn't worried about the blood staining her pure white nightgown, nor it coming in contact with her skin. She jumped when he screamed in agony, tears dripping down her face. _'What's wrong with him? I never heard him sound like this since…'_

Through her blurred vision, she was able to see Al running back over the hill. He must have just realized that Ed wasn't following him at all. As soon as he got within one-hundred feet, Winry felt Ed go deathly still in her arms.

She looked down in worry, "Ed? Ed!"

She yelped when he pushed her backwards. Her back hit the ground as her legs unfolded themselves. Her eyes widened when she noticed that Ed crawled on top of her, his eyes back to the deep red. He smirked down at her, his hands pinning her arms to her sides.

"Just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" He asked. She found that she, once again, could not remove her eyes from his. He had her in some sort of trance where she realized what was happening, but had no control.

However, she somehow was able to snap out of it enough to realize her legs were being pushed apart. With her body going on the alert for danger, she began to wiggle underneath him. It was only then that she was able to feel how strong he really was. She shook her head, though her eyes still could not leave his, "Ed, don't!"

The Oroburous on his throat glowed again. Both Ed and Winry were surprised when Al pressed the red amulet against Ed's throat, sending the homunculus off Winry. She sat up quickly, the earlier events replaying in her mind as she watched Al weaken his brother. Ed once again seemed to have no strength when the charm was pressed to his neck.

"No, Al, stop!" Winry yelled, trying to be louder than the sounds Ed was making, "Al, something's wrong! Ed was himself! He spoke to me! He was bleeding!" No matter how much she screamed, Al ignored her. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and slammed her fists against the ground, "Ed was in pain!"

As soon as she was done, so was Ed. He passed out again, leaving Al to retract the necklace. They both sat there as if in shock for many minutes. Finally, Al turned to Winry. She could see how much it pained him to hurt Ed like he was, but he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't allow him to hurt her.

Winry crawled over to the brothers. She couldn't yell at Al anymore. He didn't need it. She stood up, not caring that her nightgown was about to slide down her arms and reveal her top. The ground had still been soggy from the rain, so mud splattered her body in different areas.

"Let's get him inside," Winry said, lifting Ed's shoulders from the ground, "Then we can call Izumi-san in the morning, okay?"

Al shot his eyes toward her with fear. If she found out what he did…she would kill him! How was he supposed to explain this one to her? And without a voice, at that. However…he always knew what was best, and Winry was right. If anyone knew what to do in this kind of situation, it would be his Sensei.

Nodding his head reluctantly, Al picked Ed's feet up and helped Winry drag him back down the basement stairs. He wished they could have gone in the front door, but figured it was probably locked.

Carrying him down the stairs, across the basement, then back up a flight of steps was no easy task. Ed might not have been the largest person ever, but his rock hard muscles gave him enough weight to make lugging him around difficult.

Not attempting to carry him up to the second floor, they discarded him on the living room couch. Winry grabbed the blanket that was draped over the sofa and covered Ed up. All the mud and blood that splattered his skin was not attractive, but she figured she would get Al back to bed before dealing with that.

"Come on," she urged gently, glad when Al willingly followed her back up the stairs and down the hall to his room. It was still quite early, Winry figured around three-thirty. Al had still not fully recovered from all the damage he went through and was physically weak.

Winry pulled the covers back and waited until he climbed into bed before tucking the blankets up to his chest. His eyes were so heartbroken over his failure to properly bring his brother back, that Winry couldn't help but gently stroke the hair from his face. Ever since he came back as a ten-year-old, she felt a more maternal attraction toward him. She had the urge to take care of him and soothe him when he felt scared.

Exhaustion overtook Al none too quickly, allowing Winry to leave his side. She walked down the hall, stopping right outside her grandmother's door. _'Funny…' _she thought, _'it's hard to believe she slept through all that.'_

Feeling too curious to turn away, Winry pushed her door open and peered inside. She saw Pinako lying on the bed, but as she grew closer, she couldn't help but notice how so very still she was.

"Grandma?" Winry questioned. Nonetheless, she knew she wasn't going to receive an answer. She wasn't a little girl anymore and couldn't try to deny or hide the facts of life. Her grandmother was getting old and wasn't able to take as much drama as she used to. With everything that happened the day before…Winry couldn't blame her for not wanting to live through another horrible incident. She took care of the three of them. That was her duty.

Feeling in a daze, Winry left the room and walked back downstairs. She went into the kitchen where she got a large bowl and filled it with warm water. She dropped a towel into the water before bringing the bowl into the living room.

Mechanically, she set the bowl beside the couch as she uncovered Ed. She reached for the towel, wringing it until it was damp. Her eyes followed her hands when she pressed the rag to Ed's chest, running it over his skin in circular motions. When the cloth got too dirty, she would dip it into the water and repeat the process over again.

At one point, her eyes wandered to his face. She couldn't tell if he looked peaceful or in pain as he slept. Dropping the cloth into the water, she leaned in closer to him to get a better look.

He was still…him, right? Just because things got a little messed up didn't mean he wasn't Edward Elric. The face, the body…it was all him. No one could mimic it.

She dared to lean in even closer. She looked at his face closely, noticing the pores…he still had human skin. It was the same skin she always wanted to touch affectionately but never got the chance to. It was the same face she always wanted close to hers when they had sweet moments. It was the same lips she always wanted to kiss. It was the same eyes she always wanted to--.

His eyes snapped open, red staring into blue.

Gasping, Winry fell back. She blinked her eyes, left with staring at his sleeping form again. His eyes were still closed, his chest still rising and falling softly with each breath. _'I only imagined it…he's not awake…'_

She went back to her knees, her hands clenching the material on her thighs. She looked down at this, two silent tears falling onto her hands. Then, she let it all loose. Between attending Ed's funeral, to seeing him be brought back to life, to having run for her life, to seeing her grandmother's dead body…her soul just couldn't take it anymore.

Sobbing louder than she ever remembered, she didn't even try to stifle her sounds or halt her tears. She always told the Elric's that it was bad to keep everything locked inside. So she was crying now…for the horrible, messed up lives they were all having.

Nothing would ever be normal, would it? They would always be living in fear, being scared of not knowing what was going to happen next. It was a sad thing when the future never looked bright, but always dull and worn out.

Winry laid herself down on the floor beside the couch, only slightly feeling the warmth radiating from the bowl of water.

Soon, the water would be cold.

* * *

Thank you all for the reviews. Yes, I know, like I said, some things did get changed around. I'll explain the differences and why it worked this way in later chapters. So far, Winry and Al haven't figured it out, but there was a little bit o' foreshadowing in this chapter. Did ya see it?

Anyway, I'll try to get chapter 3 up soon.

Enula


End file.
